# House Encoding Interview

When starting a new house, say **"interview me"** and I'll walk through these sections in order. I'll pre-fill what I can from the plans PDF, and ask you to confirm or correct.

## How it works

1. **You drop a floor plan PDF** into the project
2. **I extract** what I can: room names, dimensions, window codes, cabinet codes
3. **I interview you** section by section to fill in what I can't see
4. **I build the house YAML** with your answers
5. **You review** and correct anything I got wrong
6. **We iterate** — you can update the file anytime, or say "re-interview me on plumbing"

## Interview Sections (in build order)

### Phase 1: Big Picture (5 min)
- Address, parcel, lot orientation
- How many stories? Any non-rectangular footprint jogs?
- Anything unusual vs. your standard spec? (this seeds the overrides section)
- "What's different about this house?"

### Phase 2: Foundation & Structure (5 min)
- Foundation type and any deviations from default
- Any step-downs, piers, or grade beams?
- Bearing wall locations (I'll guess from the plan, you confirm)
- Roof style, any pitch changes, any special trusses

### Phase 3: Room-by-Room Walk (15-20 min)
This is the big one. For each room, I'll confirm:
- Dimensions (from plan — you just verify)
- Doors: count, sizes, types, which wall, what they connect to
- Windows: count, sizes, which wall (I'll pre-fill from plan codes)
- Wall jogs or non-rectangular features
- Ceiling treatment (flat, vaulted, tray)
- Flooring (if different from default)
- Any built-ins, niches, or special features

### Phase 4: Cabinets & Counters (10 min)
For each room with cabinets:
- Which cabs are in each contiguous group? (I'll read the codes, you tell me groupings)
- Counter material per group (if different from default)
- Sink locations, cooktop locations
- Upper cab runs (if needed for crown/lighting takeoffs)

### Phase 5: Fixtures (5 min)
- Confirm sink count and type per room
- Toilet count
- Tub vs. shower vs. tub/shower per bathroom
- Any specialty fixtures (pot filler, bar sink, outdoor hose bibs)

### Phase 6: Mechanical (10 min)
- HVAC equipment location, any zoning
- Trunk duct routing (just general paths, not every branch)
- Plumbing: where does supply enter? Where are the stacks?
- Electrical: any special circuits, EV, hot tub, shop panel?

### Phase 7: Exterior (5 min)
- Siding material per elevation (if mixed)
- Any stone/brick accents?
- Exterior trim details
- Deck/porch specifics
- Gutters, downspout locations

### Phase 8: Review & Gaps
- I'll list everything marked FILL IN or VERIFY
- We knock those out rapid-fire
- Generate the final house YAML

## Time Estimate
**~60 minutes** for a full interview on a new house. Faster on subsequent houses since defaults carry over and you only hit the deltas.

## Quick-Add Mode
Don't want a full interview? Just say things like:
- "bedroom 3 has a 10' ceiling"
- "kitchen group 2 is B30, RB36, B24R on the east wall"
- "add a pot filler behind the range"

I'll update the YAML incrementally.

## Re-Interview
Changed something? Say:
- "re-interview me on the kitchen"
- "update the 2nd floor bathrooms"
- "what's still marked FILL IN?"